Halfway done with the MTC!!

So today officially marks our halfway point in the MTC! Three more weeks and I will be on the other side of the world preaching to Romanians. Every day I get more excited and more nervous to get out in the field. The language is coming along great! Yesterday me and my companion had an amazing lesson with our mock investigator. I felt the spirit so strongly, I knew how to respond to his questions quickly and succinctly, and the lesson flowed and felt more like a conversation than a monologue, which I have been trying to work on.

I'm sorry to hear about Jackson's nose! That can't be fun. But he'll have a cool story out of it!

Sorry my letters are always so short! There are so many spiritual experiences I have here and the days are so jam packed full of activities I can never remember them when I come to write you! But just know that I am very happy here and not super stressed out. I have learned how to turn the stress and pressure put on me by the rules and schedule into a positive growing experience. All of the missionaries in the Romanian districts have such strong testimonies. I love being around the gospel so much because my love for this gospel has never been stronger than it is right now. It feels to me like all of the Romanian missionaries are my colegii, and not just Elder M. We are like one big family! We have so much fun together but we all lift each other up and help each other grow in love and faith.

Thank you so much for the package! It had nearly all of my favorite things in it! Oh and just so you know, we're not allowed to chew gum in the mtc... so I've been getting really into tic-tacs haha. But those drawings from Katie and that calendar made my week! Thank you so much! The devotional we had yesterday was really interesting. It was from a member of the seventy, and he talked about a lot of doctrinal stuff, but he said a few things that really stuck. He mentioned the fact that this has been my responsibility from before the earth was. That before we lived I signed up for this mission. He reminded me that there are people out there, living their lives, as they have for years before, who I will teach. There are people out there who are waiting specifically for me to change their lives. That is a really humbling thought. His wife talked about the great council in Heaven. When we were all there, and God presented his plan of happiness, imagine how relieved must we have been when we saw our elder brother stand up and say, "I will do it. I will take upon me the sins of the world so that they can come home." He did atone for us, and we can be forgiven and come home.

I learn more every day and keep growing in my faith. The spirit is so strong here. Evanghelia este adevarata. Eu cred ca cu tot inima mea. Am credinta in aceasta biserica. Eu stiu ca Isus Hristos va iubeste foarte mult.

Remember that Jesus will always be there to uplift us. His atonement was universal. El a venit. El a murit. Dar El traiste. As one of my Romanian speaking friends put it, our hearts are restless until we rest in Him. I love you all. I would love to hear from everyone. If anyone has any cool mission stories, I would love to hear them. Always remember to alege ce e drept (ACD).

Dragoste,

Elder DeGraw